[Cholecystitis and cholecystolithiasis in children]

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pathology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Gallbladder disease, including cholecystitis and cholecystolithiasis, is less common in pediatric populations compared to adults.
• Understanding the incidence and etiological factors in children is crucial for diagnosis and management.

Observation:

• A retrospective analysis of 1880 necropsies and 8,217 surgical specimens from 1968-1977 at Hospital Infantil de México was conducted.
• Nine cases of cholecystitis and/or cholecystolithiasis were identified, with an incidence of 0.10% in necropsies and 0.08% in surgical specimens.
• Commonly observed symptoms included abdominal pain, jaundice, vomiting, and leukocytosis.

Findings:

• Morphological findings varied, encompassing chronic cholecystitis with cholecystolithiasis, acute cholecystitis without calculi, chronic cholecystitis without calculi, and acute and chronic cholecystitis without calculi.
• Predisposing factors identified included obesity, infections, parasitosis, hematologic disturbances, choledochal dilatation, and duodenal diaphragm.
• The majority of affected cases (7 out of 9) were female.

Implications:

• This study highlights the importance of considering gallbladder pathology in pediatric patients presenting with relevant symptoms.
• Identifying predisposing factors like obesity and infections can aid in early detection and prevention strategies.
• Further research into pediatric gallbladder disease is warranted to improve clinical outcomes.